TV/Radio notes: All-Stars love to watch Derby, too

The fascination we have with the Home Run Derby is simple. It's this: How far can you hit the ball and how many times can you do it?

This year's edition starts at 5 p.m. Monday on ESPN, the day before the All-Star Game from Phoenix, at 5 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Home Run Derby is that the players are just as taken with it as we are. And not just the players who are participating, all the rest of the All-Stars, too.

"I think when you actually watch the Home Run Derby, you see all the players lined up watching it," said ESPN's Nomar Garciaparra. "I mean, being an AllStar Game, it's not mandatory for you to be out there and watch the Home Run Derby. (Monday is) really about workout and address the media. You're allowed to go and be with your family and do what you want to do. But none of them do because they want to go out there and marvel to see how far, how many they can actually hit."

Funny or die: You may have seen the funnyordie.com video, either online or on ESPN, featuring several NFL players along with actor Taylor Lautner of the "Twilight" movies.

The video was shot just last week in Thousand Oaks, according to ESPN. It's the biggest online production in Funny or Die's four-year history.

Other notes: HBO and Major League Baseball Productions are currently shooting a documentary on Derek Jeter's quest for his 3,000th hit. "Derek Jeter 3K" will air just a few weeks after the Yankees shortstop reaches the milestone. HBO will debut "The Curious Case of Curt Flood" at 9 p.m. Wednesday. Even though only 7 percent of the nation will see them, Fox is sending its No. 1 baseball announcing crew, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, to do Saturday's Padres-Dodgers game. It puts them close to Phoenix for Tuesday's All-Star Game. SportsBusiness Daily reports NBC earned a 2.1 big-market rating for its final Wimbledon final, up 10.5 percent from last year. NBC, which has lost Wimbledon TV rights to ESPN starting next year, had a 1.8 rating for the women's final, even with last year.

CBS' Jim Nantz will receive the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2011 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award Aug. 5. The U.S. Women's Open continues today from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN, then moves to NBC for the weekend, from noon to 3 both days.